Translator: Silavin
Yellow Crane Tavern. It was perhaps unknown to the people now, but many of the older generation still remember its glory days.
This used to be the most prosperous place because, about fifty kilometres from here, there was the Black Demon Mountain Range, a place many ordinary people considered to be dangerous.
The Black Demon Mountain Range was a paradise for adventurers and mercenaries. Although there were deadly dangers in that mountain range, the huge benefits still attracted many to go there.
Yellow Crane Tavern was built by the former number one expert of Spreading Cloud City, the Old Master of the Lin Family, Lin Huarong. It was only natural for this place to once be the busiest spot in Spreading Cloud City.
However, after the Old Master of the Lin Family fell ill, this tavern declined and never opened its doors again.
*Creak.* Accompanied by the groan of two wooden doors, struggling under their own weight, Qin Yichen slipped in.
Looking at the messy tables and chairs on the floor, and the tavern covered in cobwebs, he frowned. He scanned around and then tentatively called out, “Is anyone here?”
In the tavern, there was only the echo of his voice, and the creaking sound of the cold wind passing through the wooden doors. No one responded.
After calling out two more times, there was still no response.
“Could Uncle Lin have remembered wrong?” A trace of doubt flashed in Qin Yichen’s eyes.
Just as he was about to leave, the sound of someone slapping a table came from upstairs.
“Noisy! Noisy, noisy, what’s all this noise about? You’re disturbing this old man’s sleep, can you afford the consequences!?” A rough scolding came from upstairs, followed by the sound of chairs being kicked aside.
A moment later, a burly figure walked out of a room upstairs, where even the door had fallen off.
“*Ahem*, I am Qin Yichen…” Qin Yichen dryly coughed and cupped his hands in greeting.
However, before he could finish speaking, a black shadow came whistling towards him.
“Hey, don’t attack. I have important business with you!” Fortunately, his Spiritual Energy was not weak, and he had condensed his Martial Body Bead. He immediately stomped his foot and quickly dodged.
*Bang!* With the sound of something cutting through the air and landing, a cloud of dust was stirred up. In the dust, one could vaguely see a chair leg deeply embedded in the ground, where Qin Yichen had just been standing.
“How vicious.” Looking at the chair leg that had sunk a full ten centimetres into the ground, Qin Yichen’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.
If he had not dodged that blow just now, there would definitely be a bloody hole in his body.
“Oh?”
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Before Qin Yichen could catch his breath, the sounds of two more objects cutting through the air rang out. He made his heart jump as he rushed to dodge.
“Hei Gui, stop! I’m someone Lin Aotian had sent to treat the Old Master of the Lin Family’s injuries.” While dodging, Qin Yichen finally could not help but shout. If this continued, he would surely be killed by this man!
*Whoosh!* Just as Qin Yichen’s words fell, he felt a gust of alcohol-laden wind hit his nose. In the blink of an eye, a sturdy arm was already on his shoulder.
Turning his head, he saw a burly figure appear before his eyes.
[This man is definitely not inferior to Li Yuanba!] A thought flashed through Qin Yichen’s mind. He had no doubt that the arm on his shoulder could turn into a deadly weapon at any moment.
“Boy, what did you just say?” The burly figure spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse. It was as if he had not spoken for a long time and was rusty.
Qin Yichen slowly moved his gaze to the face of this burly man. The latter was now staring at him, with somewhat reddened eyes. It was as if he would unhesitatingly strike a death blow if Qin Yichen said one wrong word.
“Hei Gui, do you recognize this?” Qin Yichen sighed. Although this burly man’s cultivation was not bad, his mind had become unclear due to prolonged and constant drinking. At this point, Qin Yichen did not dare to beat around the bush and directly took out the jade pendant Lin Aotian had given him.
*Whoosh!* As soon as he took out the jade pendant, it was snatched away by the burly man.
“This jade pendant… is the birthday gift I gave to Aotian on his tenth birthday!” Seeing this jade pendant, a flash of excitement passed through the burly man’s eyes. Then, his face suddenly sank, and the hand on Qin Yichen’s shoulder flipped over. He directly gripped Qin Yichen’s neck and demanded in a deep voice, “Where did you get this jade pendant from!? Where is Aotian!?”
“I… damn it…” Under this sturdy arm, which reeked of deadly alcohol, Qin Yichen felt as if his neck was clamped by an iron vise. Even breathing became difficult, and his face turned red.
“Let… go… of me!” Qin Yichen grabbed his arm with both hands, trying to pry it open. However, he found this arm to be like iron pillars. With his strength, he could not make them budge, not even the slightest.
He had just condensed his Martial Body Bead, and was now a Martial Artist. He had practised using the Spirit Body Technique and his Physique was much stronger than experts of the same realm. However, compared to the Martial Grandmaster before him, the difference was like night and day.
[Damn it, I’ve lived an honourable life! It would be too unjust to die in your hands, Hei Gui!] Qin Yichen could not help but curse. Then, with a thought, he sent a strand of Spiritual Energy towards Hei Gui’s eyeballs. He had controlled his strength to make it not enough to blind him.
*Hmm?* Attacked by Spiritual Energy, Hei Gui felt a pain in his eyes. In this moment of distraction, Qin Yichen had already leaned back, escaping from his arm.
“*Cough cough* I said I was invited to save the Old Master of the Lin Family, Hei Gui! *cough cough*…”
After retreating a distance, Qin Yichen rubbed his obviously reddened neck, He coughed a few times, and cursed.
If it was not for Lin Aotian telling him to come here, to find this person who had a life-and-death friendship with the Old Master of the Lin Family, to ask him to help Qin Yichen sneak into the Lin Family, he would not have come to such a ghostly place.
Still, if he could gain this man’s help, this trip would have been worth it.
After rubbing his eyes, Hei Gui did not rush to attack. He stood in place, squinting at Qin Yichen, as if waiting for him to explain everything.
“You should be able to think, if something had happened to Lin Aotian, would he still give me this token and ask me to come to this place to find you!?” Qin Yichen rolled his eyes at him.
“You mean… Aotian is still alive?” Hearing this, a genuine look of joy flashed in Hei Gui’s eyes, and he stepped forward to ask, “Where is he? Take me to see him!”
“Stop!” Seeing him about to pounce again, Qin Yichen jumped back. After seeing his emotions stabilise a bit, he added, “Uncle Lin is in the Li Family Mansion right now. However, Lin Aoqing already knows he’s there. If you go there… you’ll probably be stopped by Lin Aoqing’s men.”
“*Hmph!* As if those small fries can stop me!?” Hei Gui snorted coldly, a great aura bursting forth from his body, sweeping away his previous dejected state.
“They definitely can’t stop you, but do you think after you’ve seen Uncle Lin, Lin Aoqing will still let you enter and leave the Lin Family!? Will he still let you see the Old Master of the Lin Family!?” Qin Yichen felt a headache coming. [Why is it possible for this guy’s intelligence to be even lower than Li Yuanba?]
“You’re right, the Lin Family now… is no longer the Lin Family of the past…” Hei Gui sighed, his eyes revealing a trace of sorrow.
Who would have thought that Lin Huarong, the once top expert, who dominated Spreading Cloud City, would end up like this?